


The Minnow Who Killed the Shark

by Halmaithor



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Adult Madzie, Angst with a Happy Ending, Future Fic, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Ragnor and Raphael also show up right at the end
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-12
Updated: 2020-06-12
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:40:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,010
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24677809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Halmaithor/pseuds/Halmaithor
Summary: She doesn’t know how to do this. Not on her own.But she’s not on her own.When her mom is attacked and injured, Madzie turns to their family for help.(Set way in the future - Madzie's 32.)
Relationships: Catarina Loss & Madzie, Magnus Bane & Alec Lightwood & Madzie, Max Lightwood & Madzie, background Magnus Bane & Ragnor Fell & Catarina Loss & Raphael Santiago, background Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood - Relationship
Comments: 6
Kudos: 98





	The Minnow Who Killed the Shark

**Author's Note:**

> Hi :) So, as mentioned, this fic is set in the future. Madzie is 32, Alec is about 53, and Max L-B is about 23.   
> Also, Ragnor is alive because you can't convince me otherwise, lol. (I'm so deep in that particular headcanon that I genuinely forget he's 'canonically' dead. ^^; )
> 
> Please enjoy Madzie being smart and powerful, having an extended family to turn to when she needs help, and Catarina being taken care of. <3

Madzie checks her phone, unsurprised to see that her mom hasn’t replied to the text telling her that Madzie’s on her way home, after spending the evening researching pyrotechnic charms in the attic library of the Spiral Labyrinth’s new chapter in Queens. It’s pretty late – nearly eleven at night – and Catarina’s just coming off a double shift that probably wound its way halfway into a triple. She’s likely exhausted, both magically and physically, and Madzie’s always hesitant to text at all on these nights. But her mom, for all her wisdom in other areas, seems to forget that even for immortals, thirty-two is _definitely_ old enough to be considered a grown-up - whether she chooses to live at home or not – and she gets… _snippy_ if Madzie doesn’t check in every now and then.

She rolls her eyes – albeit fondly – as she portals into the alley just outside their building, and makes her way up to their apartment the Mundane way. If her mom’s asleep, it’ll disturb the wards less to walk in than to portal, and she doesn’t want to wake her.

But as she raises her key to the lock, intending to enter as quietly as she can, a shriek from the other side of the door derails that plan.

Eyes wide, Madzie blasts open the door, barely registering her mom slumped against the wall before she lets out a guttural scream, reaching out towards the figure leaning over her and _shoving_ with all her might and magic.   
She plants herself between her mom and the intruder, glaring at the latter as they stand amidst the wreckage of the living room, a sign of the fight her mom must have put up before Madzie got home. ‘Leave her alone!’ she says, emptying as much threat into her tone as she can.

The figure looks up, and Madzie’s heart stops for a couple of beats, her gills flaring at the sides of her neck.   
_Nana,_ something inside her whispers, even after all this time; even as she swallows it down, and instead says, ‘Iris?’

_This doesn’t make sense,_ her brain insists. _She’s dead, Iris is_ dead –   
The form flickers for a moment, and she realizes. _Ghost._ ‘Madzie,’ Iris says, a tremble in her voice, almost palpable despite the echo. ‘Madzie, sweetheart, you’re here.’   
Madzie nods, willing herself not to show the fear that’s slowly curdling in her stomach. ‘I’m here. But you’re dead, Iris,’ she says sternly. ‘You can’t be here. You have to go.’

It’s the wrong thing to say, because Iris flares brighter in anger, her eyes narrowing. ‘No!’ she hisses. ‘No, she _stole_ you, she _stole you from me – ‘_ She lets out a wail, loosing a bolt of purple lightning towards Catarina.   
Madzie throws up a shield and blocks it, stumbling back a little, alarmed at the power of the attack. She doesn’t know how many more of those she can intercept. ‘She didn’t _steal_ me,’ she says resolutely, trying to ignore her heart hammering in her chest. ‘She _raised_ me, she took me in when – ‘  
 _‘No!’_ Iris shrieks, and Madzie lifts her arms just in time to brace herself against the sudden gale blowing against her, the torn papers and fabrics around them being whipped up in the storm, circling Iris’ rage. ‘You were _mine,_ and she _stole you,_ she _took_ you from me - !’

Her voice dies out into a wordless scream, and she collapses in on herself, the tornado coming to a halt as she sobs, stark against the sudden silence. ‘Madzie,’ she whispers. ‘My Madzie. I came back for you.’ She lifts her head, gazing at Madzie with a tremulous smile, her tears too dull in her lifeless eyes and Catarina apparently forgotten, for the moment. ‘Won’t you come with me, sweetheart? Don’t you trust your Nana anymore?’

The figure flickers again, and Madzie bites back the instant rejection on the tip of her tongue as a realization flashes across her mind. ‘…Okay,’ she whispers, forcing a smile. ‘Okay, Nana. You’re right.’   
Iris beams, letting out another sob. ‘We’ll go home, Madzie,’ she insists.   
‘Yeah,’ Madzie says, stepping forward cautiously – then more boldly, keeping herself between Iris and her mom all the way. ‘Yeah, Nana. It’s time to go home.’   
The ghost flickers, growing dimmer by the second, by every half-truth or outright lie Madzie tells. ‘My sweet girl,’ she whispers. She extends a pale hand, long and skeletal, the fingernails fading out into smoke.

Madzie swallows, forcing back the tears in her eyes. ‘I’m sorry, Nana,’ she whispers.   
‘It’s okay, darling,’ Iris says, still beaming. ‘It’s okay, it’s not too late – ‘

She’s cut off as Madzie summons everything she has left, all the power she can muster. ‘It is,’ she murmurs, the tears starting to fall as she binds the ghost, forcing her onto her knees, keeping her trapped in this moment of weakness. ‘I’m sorry, Iris. It is. You were never who I needed as my family.’   
Her words are barely audible – because Iris is _screaming,_ struggling against Madzie’s bonds, unable to break free as Madzie’s spell robs her anger of the power it had moments ago. _‘Madzie,’_ she shrieks, even as Madzie chants lowly, reciting a banishment, concentrating on each syllable. ‘Madzie, _don’t-!’_

Madzie lurches forward, the pressure against the binding spell disappearing as the last syllable is torn from her lips.   
Iris is gone, nothing but ash in her place.

Madzie whips around, paying no heed to the braids that have come loose from her topknot and almost hit her in the face. ‘Mom,’ she breathes, and she crosses the room in a heartbeat, the dregs of her magic reaching out to see, to – to check – _‘Mom,_ please – ‘   
She finds a pulse, weak but there, and she stifles a sob at the barest push her mom’s magic gives against her own. ‘Oh god,’ she chokes out. ‘Oh god, _Mom,_ please, please wake up – ‘  
And fuck, her mom was _right –_ she’s _not_ a grown-up, she can’t be, because right now she’s the same scared little girl she’s always been and she doesn’t know what to _do –_

She sucks in a breath, trying to calm herself down.   
She doesn’t know how to do this. Not on her own.

But she’s not on her own.

Taking another deep breath, Madzie gathers her mom up in her arms, stumbling a little under the weight and cursing that she never grew as tall as she wanted to. She reaches out her wrist, twirling it once, twice, summoning the portal on the second try.

She steps out into a dark living room, and before the portal’s even snapped shut again, she’s screaming, ‘Magnus!’

She lays her mom down gently on the couch, a fresh thrill of alarm going through her at how limp she is, how still. _‘Magnus,’_ she all but sobs, ‘please-‘   
‘Madzie?’   
She looks up, and it’s not Magnus, but it’s just as familiar a face, though stark and strange for being lit by only a seraph blade. ‘Alec,’ she says, ‘Alec, please, my mom – she needs help – ‘  
But Alec’s already clocked the situation, his eyes widening as he sees Catarina laid out on the couch, his gaze darting around the room. ‘Were you followed?’ he asks, his tone snapping the words into a command.   
She shakes her head. ‘No. No, I got rid of her.’   
He doesn’t bother asking who _her_ means, just nods, relaxing his stance. ‘Max!’ he yells. ‘Get out here!’

Max appears in a blur of blue, magic and loose hair and exposed skin where he’s only wearing dark sleep shorts. ‘Dad, what – ‘ He catches sight of Cat on the couch, his breath catching.   
‘Help Madzie,’ Alec orders. ‘Keep her mom stable.’ He turns back to Madzie, and calmly tells her, ‘Magnus is out of cell range, but I’ll send him a fire message and he’ll be here soon. Sit down before you pass out, alright? We’ve got this. It’s gonna be okay.’   
She nods, taking a deep breath, relieved to feel someone else take the reins. ‘Okay,’ she whispers, practically collapsing to her knees in front of the couch, Max joining her a second later while Alec disappears, flicking the light switch on as he goes.

Max’s glowing hands hover over her mom’s head, heart, torso, a little shaky but apparently steadied by the grim determination setting his jaw. ‘It’s gonna be alright, Madz,’ he says softly. ‘She’s strong. She’s got enough fight left in her to be okay ‘til Bapa gets here.’   
Madzie nods again, the reassurance slowing her heart rate a little, if not doing anything for the tears still running hot down her cheeks.

She doesn’t notice Alec reappearing until he’s at her side, guiding her up to sit on the couch by her mom’s feet. ‘Magnus is coming, and Max has got her for now,’ he murmurs, all the urgency and militant efficiency gone from his voice in favor of quiet kindness. ‘What about you? Are you hurt?’   
‘No,’ she croaks, before clearing her throat and trying again. ‘No,’ she repeats, her voice stronger this time. ‘I’m okay, honest. Just drained.’

Alec opens his mouth again, but he’s interrupted by the _whoosh_ of a portal from an adjoining room, and a moment later Magnus comes sprinting in, heading straight for the space at Max’s side. ‘Catarina,’ he breathes, before shaking the dismay from his expression, reaching out with resolute calm. ‘What happened?’ he asks.

Madzie takes another deep breath, and for now, she ignores how none of them seem to be reaching the bottom of her lungs. ‘She was attacked – I think it was a ghost,’ she says.   
‘What makes you say that?’ Alec asks, frowning.   
She counts the reasons off on her fingers. ‘It got past the wards, it flickered in and out, and then it disappeared when I said a spirit banishment.’ She swallows. ‘And it was Iris,’ she whispers.

Alec and Magnus exchange an uneasy look. ‘Not that I doubt your spellwork, Madzie,’ Alec says, ‘but Iris was always particularly dangerous - if it was really her, we need to make sure that she’s definitely gone.’   
Magnus nods in agreement, even as he turns back to his work, Catarina’s shoulder shifting back into place with a sickening _thunk._ ‘Send a message to Ragnor,’ he says. ‘He’s got the most experience with hauntings, exorcisms - that realm of magic. He should check over the apartment. And ask him to inform Raphael,’ he adds, more quietly. ‘He’ll want to know what’s happened.’

Alec squeezes Madzie’s shoulder, then heads over to the table to scrawl out the fire message.   
Madzie looks back at her mom’s face, the tears threatening to well up again even as she stubbornly holds on to hope.

***

Light is just beginning to filter in through the cracks in the curtains, now. Alec opens them on his way back into the living room, flooding the apartment in dusky blue. ‘Here,’ he says quietly, holding out a tray with two cups of tea on it.   
Max – now sitting beside Madzie on the floor again, drained of magic, tiredness pulling at his features – eagerly takes his mug, reaching for one of the granola cookies on the plate next to it as well.   
Madzie takes the tea, shaking her head when Alec keeps holding the tray in front of her. ‘I’m not hungry,’ she mumbles.   
Max nudges her, swallowing down his mouthful of cookie before he speaks. ‘You have to get your strength back,’ he insists. ‘Come on. The sooner you get your magic back, the sooner you can help Bapa with your mom.’   
She throws him a scowl – he knows exactly what he’s doing, the bastard, and what he’s said is _true_ but that doesn’t mean she has to _like_ it.

Still, she takes a cookie, ignoring his not-so-subtle look of triumph as he leans more heavily against the unoccupied couch.

‘Alexander,’ Magnus suddenly says; and Madzie sits up, her frayed nerves sparking again. ‘She’s okay,’ Magnus reassures her, ‘but the nature of the attack means that it did a number on her magic, not just her body. I could use a little help in the home stretch.’   
Alec’s already kneeling beside his husband, the other side to where Max was earlier, holding out his left hand as his right digs around in his sweatpant pocket before re-emerging with his stele. ‘Runes?’ he asks.  
‘Enkeli, iratze, endurance,’ Magnus rattles off, transferring all the weight of healing into his left hand as he reaches out his right to clasp Alec’s.   
‘Fortune?’   
Magnus shrugs. ‘Couldn’t hurt,’ he mutters, turning back to Catarina as Alec activates the four runes.

  
It seems to take another eternity – but eventually, Magnus is pulling his hand away, leaning slightly into Alec as he sits back.   
Madzie moves forwards, her eyes darting between her mom and Magnus. ‘Is she-‘  
Magnus gives a tired smile, and the permanent knot of worry in her gut seems to unravel, her shoulders slumping as she exhales. ‘She’ll be okay,’ Magnus confirms. ‘She’ll sleep for a while, and if we can manage to keep her off her feet for a few days, that would be for the best – but she’s out of danger.’   
A short, sharp laugh bubbles up and out of Madzie’s throat, and she closes her eyes for a second, before reaching out and taking Magnus’ hand. _‘Thank you,’_ she says, throwing as much feeling behind the words as she can. ‘All of you.’  
Magnus squeezes her hand, shaking his head. ‘You never have to thank us, sweetpea,’ he says softly. ‘Not for this.’

The moment Magnus lets go, Alec pulls him to his feet, pushing him in the direction of the master bedroom before turning to Max and pulling him up, too. ‘Alright,’ he says. ‘Both of you should go get some rest. I’ll keep an eye on things out here.’   
Max – who’s practically asleep on his feet by this point – makes no argument, staggering to his own room.   
Magnus also does as he’s told, but he throws his husband a suspicious glance as he goes. _‘One_ stamina rune,’ he says, pointing warningly at Alec. ‘When it burns out, don’t refresh it – come and wake me.’   
Alec smirks. ‘Yes, dear,’ he says placatingly.   
Magnus shoots Madzie a despairing look – _see what I have to put up with? –_ which, despite her own exhaustion, manages to bring the barest twitch of a smile to her lips. He returns it, and then disappears into the bedroom, the door closing with a soft _snick._

Alec turns to her. ‘I’d offer you the guest room,’ he says, raising an eyebrow, ‘but I’m guessing you’d refuse it. Would you at least lie down on the other couch? You really ought to get some sleep.’   
She eyes the couch, torn between temptation and reluctance. She desperately wants to stay awake, to be _sure_ that her mom’s going to be okay – but the barest sparks of her magic are flickering under her skin, and her bones feel like tantalum, weighing her down. ‘You’ll wake me if anything changes?’ she confirms.   
‘I promise.’   
She nods, satisfied. ‘Okay,’ she says, unable to suppress her yawn, now that her body knows rest is imminent. ‘Okay.’

She lies down on the couch, not realizing how quickly her eyes close until she feels, rather than sees, a blanket being laid over her. ‘Thank you,’ she mumbles – or tries to, at least.

She thinks she feels her hair being pushed away from her forehead, but she’s asleep too quickly to be sure.

***

Madzie comes to consciousness slowly, unsure of what’s woken her. She curls her toes in where they’re sticking out of the covers, frowning a little in annoyance at the unwelcome chill when the rest of her is so warm and comfortable.   
Alec’s speaking softly, not too far away from her. ‘…promised,’ he’s saying. ‘She won’t be happy with us.’   
‘Let her sleep,’ the other voice – the one that must have woken her – replies, and Madzie’s eyes fly open. ‘She must be tired, after – ‘  
But sleep is a lost cause, now, and she sits bolt upright, drawing the attention of both figures across from her, but only having eyes for one. _‘Mom,’_ she says, relieved tears budding in her eyes again as she crosses the room, perching beside her mom on the other couch. In her periphery, Alec silently takes his leave, giving them a moment alone.

Her mom smiles at her, though there’s a small furrow between her brows. ‘Hi, sweetheart,’ she says. ‘Are you okay?’   
Madzie can’t stop an incredulous laugh escaping – _me? What about you? –_ but she nods all the same. ‘Yeah, Mom,’ she says. ‘I’m okay.’ It’s the truth – her magic’s back to almost full strength after her rest, and with her mom awake and smiling and _talking,_ she’s so incredibly relieved that she thinks her heart might burst with it.

Still, that doesn’t stop the wetness in her eyes from overflowing again, and she wipes at it in frustration. Her mom’s expression tightens in sympathy, and she pushes herself up to lean against the arm of the couch, pulling Madzie closer when she reaches out to help. ‘Alec told me what happened,’ she says, tucking a stray braid behind Madzie’s left ear. ‘My brave girl. I’m so proud of you.’   
Madzie swallows hard; and this time, when her mom pulls her close, she goes willingly, falling forward into her embrace with a shuddering breath.

  
Soon, Alec will bring Magnus and Max back in, so they can see how Catarina’s doing for themselves. Not long after that, Ragnor will portal in with an uncharacteristically-worried Raphael in tow, and confirm that yes, Iris really is gone for good, now. Then, he’ll conjure poached eggs on brown toast, and fresh cantaloupe, and kiwi-apple smoothies – some of her mom’s favorites – and they’ll all sit down to a family brunch, talking and laughing together, just glad to be in each other’s company.

But for now, it’s just Madzie and her mom.   
She holds on tight, sinking into the comfort, and lets herself believe that they’re going to be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Do let me know what you thought. ^^ 
> 
> Also, a reminder to keep signing petitions associated with the #BlackLivesMatter movement. [HERE](https://twitter.com/shouIdbesad/status/1270808714195288064) is a twitter thread to get you started.
> 
> [Find me on tumblr: silver-latin-and-salt](silver-latin-and-salt.tumblr.com)


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